Chapter 28: Mock Battle (1/2)

Lute, age 12.

In the afternoon, after the tea party ended, I changed my butler clothes for something more rough.

Because from the afternoon I would be doing mock battles with Gigi-san.

When I finished changing clothes, I went to the backyard.

Once I was done warming up, I did 5 laps around the estate to build up my physical strength.

After some rest, I went to have a spar with Gigi-san.

There are nearly no schools of fighting in the Demon Continent.

So even though I called it training, it’s mainly just sparring, pretending we’re in real combat.

At the beginning―

“Lute is too timid to injure the opponent more than necessary. Even if it’s training…. no, because it’s training, don’t lose your way and try to knock your opponent down. Normal injuries can be healed with healing magic anyway.”

I received the same warnings each time when I initially started training.

During my previous life in Japan, I lived in a world completely free from violence.

In this parallel world where I was reincarnated, I have killed demons with my revolver and AK47. But, people — those with whom I could communicate with using words, I’ve neither hit nor shot any.

Even though we called it practice, I still had reservations about fighting without using any safety gears such as gloves or headgear.

However, after practicing martial arts for a bit more than than a year, I grew accustomed to it and stopped hesitating.

Right now, while applying body strengthening on myself, I am repeatedly striking Gigi-san with all my might.

“Deyaa!”

“Your attacks are too crude. Anticipate the development of the battle, and chain your blows accordingly. You know… if it’s just hitting each other, then even kids could do it.”

For the second time he turns in my straight right and avoided it easily.

His left fist (jab-like punch) drilled into me causing my feet to stop, and break my stance. A side kick with his right was unleashed towards me.

I guard myself with both hands and take some distance.

Gigi-san is the guard chief of the Blood house and a B+ rank magician.

It would be right to say that it is the limit that an ordinary magician could reach.

Of course, there is always someone better. Our lord, the master, is A rank.

But compared to the me with no magic talent, and my magic quantity, it is like heaven and earth.

Having more magic power means there will be an absolute advantage in all the attributes: offensive, defensive, movement speed, reflexes, etc.

That’s to be expected because the amount of magic that can be used is different.

If I cover my whole body with magic power it would hit rock bottom immediately.

Furthermore, Gigi-san’s basic athletic ability as a person from the beast race is higher than that of a human.

If I lose focus, will be knocked down in 10 seconds.

Hence what I should do first will be…….to focus magic into my eyes, to avoid critical hits.

Reflexes and kinetic vision are simultaneously raised.

Thanks to my enhanced senses, I can avoid Gigi-san’s left hook by ducking.

To return the favor, I bent my knees, pushed my body up and retaliated with an uppercut.

Without even trying to dodge, Gigi-san received it with one hand.

We spared like that for hours.

Next we switched to swordsmanship training.

For swordsmanship training I seriously did practice swings and sparred like with unarmed combat.

“When it comes to unarmed combat, there are some parts where Lute shines, but you have no talent in swords. So for now just strengthen your basics and focus on defense. Blades can kill you in one shot, unlike unarmed combat.”

Gigi-san says even things that were hard to say straight to the person’s face.

Furthermore he does so thoroughly, without leaving room for a follow up.

But this was probably also Gigi-san’s kindness.

Rather than awkwardly praising me, it would be better to resolutely identify my weak points and putting more importance on practicing my counters that would be useful in combat.

While sparring with swords Gigi-san also put me on nothing but defense.

I practiced receiving blows from the wooden sword Gigi-san wielded.

He said again and again that in real combat it was more important to not get hit rather than to hit the enemy with a sword.

If it’s with a sword, then being showered with blows, even from just one, would dull one’s movements.

Even if the wound is shallow, when time passes, the amount of blood loss will increase and performance of the body will drop.

Magicians could treat their wounds with recovery magic, but for normal people it would be the end.

In order to avoid that, I practice swordsmanship with a high emphasis in defensive training.

After our routine practice, we wiped our sweat off with a clean cloth.

During that time, Gigi-san also taught me a way to fight against magicians as opponents.

At the time you fight a magician you must get close and go into close quarters combat. Spells are still a threat, but its more dangerous to be a distance away and be attacked from a long distance. You will be defeated from a distance if your hands and feet can’t reach.

But he adds another thing.

In case your opponent is A rank magician and above, you need to flee in any case. Don’t think about fighting. Fighting is useless. It’s no different from committing suicide.

“Although I have no talent as magician, but isn’t Gigi-san of B+ rank. Does that still apply?”

“Yes. A long time ago I fought against one, but I couldn’t do anything with my hands and feet. A rank is the domain of a handful of geniuses. There is no chance of victory.”

Gigi-san narrows his eyes as he remembers his distant past.

I can feel a hateful light glimmer in his eyes.

I regard that as my imagination and ask a question.

At any rate I can’t imagine the power of A rank.

How strong are they, truly? Even if you say that there is no chance of victory, the enemy is also still a living being. Even against A rank, I feel there should be some way to deal with them.

“…It’s faster to personally experience it than to receive an explanation in words. Luckily there is a rumour that an A rank magician is in the mansion. That’s master.”

Gigi-san comes out with Count Dan Gate Blood as a sparring partner and requests a mock battle.

The master accepted cheerfully.

“Wahahahaha! Let’s see, I shall ascertain just how strong Lute is, myself!”

“Master please don’t forget to go easy on him. Don’t let Lute die or else ojou-sama will not speak to you for a month.”

“Hahahaha! That would be surely troublesome. One month is too long.”

If I die I will be treated like that?

“Lute, get ready. Just in case, if you are alive I can heal you with my recovery magic, but if you die instantly there is nothing I can do.”

“Instant death… please don’t say scary things.”

I responded peevishly to what Gigi-san laid out.

But he’s right. I focus once again.

I encompassed my body with energy

The feeling throughout my body changed.

The master takes off his coat and hands it over to Gigi-san.

As a subordinate he folds master’s clothes carefully and holds them in both hands.

“……”

Again my eyes turn towards masters body.

Not less than 2m big and muscles stuffed into it to the limit.

His dark skin feels completely like metal.

Even without the body strengthening technique he has probably enough strength to easily destroy a wall.

But if its comes to that extent, I’m not so weak as to hesitate at that.

“…since it came to that, is it ok to not hold back even if the opponent is the master?”

At those words Gigi-san looks at like a dragon who looks down on a cocky black and white rabbit before him.

No, it must have been my imagination.

Master smiles in a good mood.

“Wahahahahaha! Sure! Boys are no good if they aren’t energetic like this! Saa, come at me with all you have!”

“Yes! Here I come!”